Junkers Ju 322

Junkers Ju 322 "Mammoth"
Type:	Glider
Design country:	German Empire
Manufacturer:	Junkers aircraft and engine works Dessau
First flight:	March 12, 1941
Commissioning:	Never put into service
Production time:	Was never mass-produced
Number of pieces:	2 prototypes

The Junkers Ju 322 "Mammut" was a non-motorized cargo glider . The first flight took place on March 12, 1941.

This gigantic aircraft was developed for use in the planned air landing operation within Operation Sea Lion , the landing in England. It was the competition model for the Messerschmitt Me 321 . The main demands were the transport of a Panzer IV or an 8.8 cm anti-aircraft gun including a tractor .

In contrast to Messerschmitt, the aircraft manufacturer Junkers - the pioneer of metal aircraft construction - received the order from the Reich Aviation Ministry to design the machine in wood. The design was carried out by engineer Paul John Hall , who worked for Raab-Katzenstein-Flugzeugwerke GmbH until 1929 and then for Bayerische Flugzeugwerke and Gerhard-Fieseler-Werke . According to the Junker concept, a thick wing was chosen, which was supplemented by a rear tail boom. The machine was similar in design to the Junkers G38 .

In the cargo hold were up to 140 soldiers are transported in full equipment or 16,000 kilograms of cargo.

A launch trolley was provided for the take-off , the machine was supposed to land on skids . Flight tests with a specially equipped Junkers Ju 90 showed instability around all axes, which is why the tow attempt had to be canceled. Ballast tanks were then installed and changes were made to the tail unit to improve stability.

During the second flight (after the modifications, which did not bring any significant improvement in flight characteristics) two of the three Messerschmitt Bf 110s , which were supposed to tow the "Mammut" in the Troika tow, collided and crashed. The Ju 322 had to make an emergency landing near Merseburg and broke. Further work on this type was then stopped.

The aircraft, which were already in series production, were scrapped. At that time, the planned landing in England had already been canceled.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Ju 322 "Mammut"
crew	1
length	26.30 m
span	62.35 m
Wing area	638.54 m²
height	6.6 m
Empty mass	25,210 kg
Takeoff mass	41,210 kg
payload	16 tons of cargo or 140 soldiers

Remarks

• all information only approximate

See also

• List of aircraft types

Web links

Commons : Junkers Ju 322  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Model pictures of the Ju 322